


Vernacular

by KaneNogami



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 01:38:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2369690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaneNogami/pseuds/KaneNogami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after episode 47.<br/>Overcoming his ex-boyfriend's anger was harder than he expected. But he had to face him or the problem would never be resolved. Peco had always been a challenge but it was why he used to care for him in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vernacular

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Perditus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perditus/gifts).



Weren't they an odd pair, the two of them? Brought together by their need to belong and shattered by everything else on this planet? There was no use fighting the rejection. Perhaps he deserved it, yet he could not stop anymore to wait for someone who needed better than him in the first place. Letting go was not as difficult as he had feared, not since he had lost everything once already. The other glared at him from afar, albeit with less repulsion than a few weeks before. Ah, he was not going to avert his gaze this time. Mitsuzane had no attention of showing himself broken. Not when he was starting to be back together. 

Zack did not try hard enough to catch his friend before he leapt forward. Instead, he shrugged, hands in the pockets of his pants. They had to take care of their problems themselves, these two. Obviously, no one knew about their history. Better this way. Who would have cared about lost children who had turned into rivals who didn't even acknowledge each other? 

“What are you looking at?” Aggression, in front of everyone, was a waste of time. A way to provoke another conflict. And Micchy found ironic how he was so focused on that instead of the feelings of a boy he knew too well. The other never had a tongue as perfect as his own. Yet, both were certainly of the same black color. Poisonous and deadly.

“You still don't have a rich vernacular apparently.” Complicated to figure out the right words (there were none). Instead of losing time to find a solution to a non-existent problem, Micchy started to move away from the stage, encouraging the older one to do the same. If not, they would keep everything to themselves. Or worse, this idiot would spit their meaningless 'thing' to the whole world.

“Hm, vehicular?” They had only taken a couple of steps, the crowd remaining around them. For a moment, Micchy was convinced they would suffocate by staying there too long. People remained difficult to him. At the same time, it was his mistake. The one who had dared to go back on the stage that day was him and nobody else. He pursued his lips as the word was mispronounced, not as aggravated as he had feared he would be. 

“Vocabulary if you prefer.” A proof of his kindness. Usually he let the other look up the definition by himself. They had even turned that into a game to mock each other. Peco used slang Micchi had no knowledge of and a dictionary was his best weapon against it. How long ago was it? A couple of weeks, or months? 

“Oi, then use that word next time!”

Once they were alone, behind a wall, he allowed the tension in his body to lower itself to an acceptable level. His gaze observed how the boy turned his back to him, hands on his waist. He was easy to annoy. Mitsuzane couldn't blame him for his reaction though. Not that it would ever be more than a game.

The sun was drifting to sleep and the armored rider lifted his head toward the sky, observing the orange shade it was taking. “You don't want to dance with me ever again, is it what I shall acknowledge?” 

Micchi should have expected an attack. The blur glimpse of the bolo tie flashing as his owner turned around, deep anger burning in his eyes. He had to blame someone after all. Still, this time, Micchi would not allow doom to fall on him without trying to make it right. He caught the fist aimed at his face firmly. Peco had never been a talented fighter when he was too close. Perhaps because his face betrayed his emotions. Words were slammed against his face as the other took a step back.

“You tried to kill me!”

Wrong. He had injured him. There was no death involved. Peco was standing in front of his eyes after all. Except in the case where they were both ghosts, yet that seemed unlikely. His fingers didn't let go of the fist he was holding, despite the way the other was trying to escape him. Wasn't it weak to attack and then pretend it had not happened? Ah, it reminded him of a fool he knew well.

“You are allowed to blame me. However, I have the right to dance. Your feelings are...”

“You were my boyfriend, you bastard! You're the guy I waited for after school, that asshole who sucks at kissing and who— Shut up! My feelings matter as much as yours. Why should you be allowed to dance when I can't focus while you are here? That would be unfair!”

Many could have called this display of emotions an explosion. Micchy knew better though. Peco was talented at doing as much damage as possible when he wished to. To mock, they were both clever. Although here it was slightly different. There was an hidden trouble he had to figure out as quickly as possible. Or the conversation would go downhill. It was laughable that he considered it to go in an appropriate manner for the moment. Unfair. The older one enjoyed this term. Things were never black and white and they knew it by now.

“You can't focus?” He seemed to do fine on stage for what he had gotten the opportunity to observe. Although his gaze drifted toward the people who were not here any longer from time to time. It was starting to vanish though. The first time Micchy had ended up glancing at the beat riders, his ex-boyfriend had tripped on his own feet. Obviously, he had not given up. Yet being alone at the front without Zack or Kaito had been hard to bear.

“Do you recall who taught me Gaim's routine the first time? For the auditions?”

Switching the subject would allow him to get a real answer. Not that Peco had ever been subtle. The pressure against the fist he was holding did not die down even if the posture was ridiculous by now.

“I got to see Mai practice it everyday during the lunch break, that's all. And you were lame, those were not even real auditions they accepted you without any hesitation. I was much better.”

_And now you are not any longer._ “Will you become a dancer?” The future was not a subject they had ever lost time with. Of course, they pretended to fight over school from time to time but it was more an excuse than something important. 

“Stop talking about something else! Don't you even care about what I'm saying?” Defeat would never suit a member of Baron and Peco was stubborn. Enough to jerk his arm violently so Micchy let go. His nails left faint marks on his palm and the younger one stared at his hand for a moment. 

“I did not mean to kill you. Only to get you out of the way and to bring Mai with me. That was my mindset at the moment. I needed a tool to convince her to join. You were a decoy. Basically useless beyond that.” He expected threats and shouts. Instead he got to witness Peco trying to recall how to breath, a hand on his chest, where he had been injured. “I preferred to do that than dragging you with me through hell.”

Perhaps he was a little pompous here. Well, at least his message would be conveyed properly. A hand grabbed his shirt, forcing him to move forward. Peco had always enjoyed to grab him randomly. It was not proper but he didn't mind much. He liked the other for his strong personality. 

“You think I wouldn't have accepted it?” There was a pause as he bared his teeth at the other. “You're completely right, you jerk. Kaito would have kicked my ass so hard if I had done that.”

Communication was important. And if they were motivated enough, the two of them could do something together. Micchy lifted his hand, fingers brushing against the other's wrist. The one who had been injured for a while. “We should dance together. Only the two of us.” The music could still be heard from where they were and it was only for a couple of minutes anyway.

“Fine.” They had nothing else to do anyway. There was no struggle as they moved to stand next to each other, keeping just enough distance to do their movements well. Their bodies were not in sync, it's something Micchy noticed immediately. Peco's moves were too abrupt, his usual energy twisted into an uncontrollable tornado which did not work. 

The rule had always been that they could not stop. Already during the days where they were hanging out together before and after practice, hushing the other so he wouldn't let out any disgraceful sound as they kissed. If one failed during the dance, he had to accept the shame caused by it and continue. Too perfectionist perhaps. A foolish game. 

They were not children any longer. 

If, because of Mitsuzane, his ex-lover was not able to dance properly, then he would make it right again. Without a warning, he stepped behind the other, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Stop, you're messing it too much. We have to start again.” Peco was out of breath by now and he tried to elbow him. Which did not work. 

“It's your fault! It's your fault! Mai is not here anymore and neither is Kaito! I have scars and now you want to dance again, you bastard.”

Ah, he understood. Micchy pressed his chin against Peco' shoulder. The collar got in his way but he could deal.

“You were not weak, Peco.” He should had figured out the anger was directed at both of them. Of course, he was not able to figure out exactly if the pain was from the fact he couldn't drag him away from his path himself or just the way he had been unable to punch him in the face during those days. Both were fine.

“I know that, moron. I never suggested that... And you fucked up anyway. Like a lot.” By now, the boy he used to love was leaning against him. And it was familiar somehow. The fallen sun would soon leave there in the cold and the unknown of these nights. Micchy was glad to realize he was able to face the prospect of waking up the next morning for his own sake again. 

“Yeah, I did. I won't do it again.”

“How can you be so sure?” The mockery in Peco's tone left him smiling. An awkward expression probably. They were doing well though. Listening was not as much of a challenge as it had appeared to be at first. Loosening his embrace, the younger of the pair encouraged the second to turn around so he would face him. 

“I don't know. I can't be sure. It's why...” He should be allowed to dance again. To figure out his path with the people who had forgiven him.

Lips were pressed against the tip of his nose and he blinked, not understanding what that meant immediately. The other had only wanted to hear an apology from the start. Obtaining one had wiped away most of the poison inside his heart. Not all of it. Small drops which would remain for a long time. He was going to have to remove them one by one now. Just as Peco would get the thorns which were damaging his heart out. As he rubbed his nose with the palm of his hands, Micchy realized one was already vanishing. If he had been aware of that from the start... No use dwelling on the past.

“Let's try again.” The body against his own was not that missed. Even if the warmth was not a problem in the slightest. Hastily, both boys moved to stand near to each other. The music was gone by now and yet it did not stop them from moving, counting under the breath so they would not mess up any step. To be honest, they had done a greater job. Still, their steps were synchronized. Enough for smiles to be exchanged.

“When we meet you looked like a perfect school boy. You're better now.”

“The first time you kissed me, your bolo tie got tangled in my sweater.”

“Are you blaming me for your ugly clothes?!”

“At least I don't wear the same uniform during the whole year.”

“We have a Summer version!”  
“You look like an incondite vagabond.”

“What are you saying again?! I told you to be straight to the point.”

Micchy stopped in front of the other, breathless from the dance. It had been a while after all. “The point is that, despite your lack of fashion sense, you're still a good partner.” Too cheesy maybe. Not that Mitsuzane cared any longer. Perfection did not fit him. Perhaps one day. For the moment, however, he was content while pushing the boy against a wall to kiss him. They were not a gentle pair and would never be. Not that it was important. 

“You lack practice, Micchy.” The hint of mischief in Peco's eyes pleased him greatly and he smiled in return. 

“Let's practice then, Peco.” Their fingers got tangled together as they laughed awkwardly, still unsure of where they were standing about their relationship. Although they were going to be together again on stage. And that was everything they could have asked for. No passionate declaration was necessary. After all, those were meant for people who could push their pride aside. That was not their case. They started to walk away, holding hands.

“I counted your steps. You made five mistakes during the dance.”

“For you it's six.”

“No way!”

“Why must you always go against my words?”

“Someone has to, you jerk.”

“You belong with me anyway.”

“If you start being creepy again, I'll punch you... I swear.”

“It's fair.”


End file.
